The Misfits Club
by NewHPwriter
Summary: When an unlikely group consisting of an ice queen, a nerd, a future Head Girl, two jocks, two losers and a bad boy find themselves in detention, one can only assume the worst. Yet the discovery of a mysterious item belonging to a missing student named Tom Riddle will unite the group in a magical quest the likes they could never dreamed of. Dramione, Runa, Hinny & Nev/Susan. AU


**A/N: The inspiration for this story comes from the movie The Breakfast Club as well as the Midnight Club from the third season of Riverdale as well as countless other pop culture references. This story has been eating away at me for some time and while it took me a while to plan out exactly how I wanted to write it, I finally managed to put it into words.**

**A few words of caution. First, because this story is technically an AU though I try to incorporate some canon elements into it, not everyone is going to behave the way you expect them to. I also had to change some character's histories and ages just to fit them into this story so prepare yourself from some OOC.**

**Furthermore, this story is going to have some pretty dark stuff and some coarse language so be forewarned. Also, the pairings for this story will be Dramione, Runa, Hinny and Nev/Susan. Just to make that clear.**

**Please review my story if you can. I do love reviews, so do share your opinions if you can.**

**Disclaimer: All elements of Harry Potter go entirely to J.K Rowling.**

…**.**

**THE MISFITS CLUB**

"_The pivotal moments in your life are always made up of smaller pieces, things that seemed insignificant at time, but in fact brought you to where you needed to be" – Elizabeth Norris_

Chapter One: Welcome to your life.

Friendship.

One of the most unique things in this world, there is no relationship quite as interesting as friendship. People with different families, different backgrounds, each with their own set of quirks and pet peeves, with personalities that vary so tremendously and yet despite all these barriers, somehow even between the most different of people, an unlikely relationship is born.

Unlike romance or family, friendship needs no good reason to start and no good reason to end. While relationships tend to crumble due to a variety of reasons, the number one reason for friendships to end is that people simply drift apart. You could be as close as brothers on a certain night, only to end up as strangers the next day.

Yet, despite this, often at times, it is our friends, not our family or even our lovers, that makes us who we are. The old adage of "who our friends are show us who we really are" could possibly be the truest saying in all of life itself. And in our teenage years, our friends help to develop our personality, our character and most important of all, our identity.

This leads us to our story. Yes, it has romance and yes, there is quite an amazing adventure in store for our protagonists but above all else, it is the unique relationship between eight people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and characters that form the foundation of our tale. And like all great friendship stories, one often needs something unique to push it in the right direction.

In the wizarding world, Butterbeer is a popular beverage. Described as tasting "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch", it is served in numerous locations in the wizarding world. Though it has a slight alcoholic content, the beverage is enjoyed by members of the wizarding community from old wizards and witches seeking a nice, cold drink at the end of a long day's work to the students who flock to bars and pubs during the weekends. Very few things have the universal appeal that Butterbeer has and on many occasions, Butterbeer has brought together people from different ages, places, and families. So it was, with no surprise, that Butterbeer again was responsible for forming one of the most formidable and important groups in all of wizarding history; the Misfits Club.

Yet, how Butterbeer brought our young individuals together is not something one might have expected. Then again, there were many unexpected things that were about to happen in the autumn of 1996 at Hogwarts, all of which would not be possible without that tiny drop of Butterbeer in a pub called the Three Broomsticks during their first Hogsmeade weekend.

But enough with the narration.

Let's begin.

…

"Check it out, fellas!" Theodore said as he handed a jacket over to Draco. A black leathery jacket, embroidered with glittering diamonds and a magnificent serpent sewn at the back was indeed quite a sight to behold as the other boys cooed over their new gifts.

"It's official. The Slytherin Serpents." Theodore said proudly as Blaise capped his best friend on his shoulder.

"Damn, Theo, you've really undone yourself." Blaise said as Draco slung his arms into the jacket. It was a perfect fit and upon wearing it, Draco felt a sense of warmth rushing throughout his body, protecting him from the chilly September winds.

"It comes with a Heating Charm?" Draco said as Theo nodded while turning his attention towards Crabbe and Goyle.

"Now do you get why I told you to leave your robes and jackets back at our dorms?" Theo said as Crabbe gave a sheepish look. Goyle, on the other hand, was still very much in awe over his jacket.

"It's just like our dads. Except for the colour." Goyle said as Theo nodded.

"Look, I like green as much as everyone but you got to admit, black is way cooler," Theo said as he placed his arms around Draco and Blaise. "Think of us as the new generation of Serpents. It's time for us to embrace our legacies, boys."

Draco felt himself stiffened under Theo's words. Noticing his friends' discomfort, Theo heaved a sigh.

"Look, Draco, I'm not saying we're going to be EXACTLY like our fathers. We're going to do things differently, much differently."

"Feels like I'm following in his footsteps," Draco said as Theo gave him a look.

"Fine, yeah, whatever," Draco exclaimed as he gave Theo a smile and a pat on the back. Though he still had issues with his father, it didn't mean Draco wanted to stray from tradition. His father had made some mistakes, mistakes which cost his family dearly but still, Draco loved the man. Like Theo said, it was a _new _generation of Serpents.

"The Serpent King has given his approval," Blaise said as he nudged Theo on the shoulder while Draco scowled at the wizard. As it was with his father, Draco was made the de facto leader of the group, earning the moniker given to past Serpents as the Serpent King.

"When are the girls coming?" Crabbe asked as he rubbed his burly arms. "I'm totally freezing. This Heating Charm of yours is not working on my jacket, Theo."

"That's because you're a fat piece of fuck, Crabbe!" Theo snapped as Crabbe scowled at him. "Besides, if you paid any attention, the girls walked ahead of us just now. We're meeting them at Hogsmeade. Come on, let's go!"

As the gang of five made their way towards Hogsmeade, Draco's thoughts flew elsewhere while the others chatted along, only engaging in small talk whenever it was necessary. Instead, his thoughts flew back to the summer where Draco had just gotten the worst news of his life. His father's term in Azkaban was supposed to have ended, only for it to be extended for another year courtesy of the Potter's father. Draco recalled how he had kept to himself during the months, until upon the desperate cries of his mother, allowed for her to seek help from a Healer.

It was, at that moment, Draco's life changed forever. What he and the Healer had discussed would always remain confidential though in Draco's heart, he knew, without a shadow of a doubt; he would never be that same boy again.

"_There's something you need to know about your father, Draco."_

"About time, Theo!" cried the voice of Tracey Davis as Draco found himself being dragged out of his thoughts.

"Hey there, Draco!" Pansy Parkinson said seductively as the sixth-year brown-haired witch threw her arms around him. Though he never made it official, everyone in Slytherin and Hogwarts knew that Pansy considered herself Draco's girlfriend. Not that he minded having a tanned and slim witch around, with Pansy being desperate to get on his good graces meant that he often enjoyed their physical distractions. Yet for some reason, having the witch smother him with kisses started to bother him as Draco pulled himself away.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Pansy pouted as Blaise gave a snigger.

"You're messing up his new jacket, Pansy," Theo said as Draco was grateful for the save. "Here, mess this one up," Theo said as he handed a Serpent jacket over to Pansy.

"Black?" Daphne Greengrass spoke with slight disdain as Theo rolled his eyes at the blonde beauty. "What happened to green?"

"New generation, Daphne," Draco spoke as Daphne nodded her head. While Draco was the leader of the group, Daphne was regarded as the Queen Bee of the girls, a term which no doubt was given due to the fact that no girl in Hogwarts could compare herself to Daphne. Beautiful, smart and a member of the Phoenix Club, Daphne was in line to be Head Girl next term. Still, Daphne regarded Draco with some respect, something Draco believed, was due to his own legacy.

"You could have gotten pink for us," Tracey whined as Theo gave a groan before placating his girlfriend with a kiss. "Can you imagine Goyle and Crabbe in pink, baby? That's the stuff of nightmares."

"Why don't you shut your mouth, Nott?" Goyle growled as Theo scoffed at him.

"Make me, Goyle."

"Hey," Millicent Bulstrode cried as she counted the jackets. "There's only four here. You were supposed to get five."

"Daphne said not to get one for Astoria. Tradition, remember?"

"She wasn't talking about Astoria, Theo," Daphne replied in an icy tone as Theo and Blaise smacked their foreheads in disbelief.

"Surely, you can't be serious. Look, I get that she's part of your gang, Daphne, but she's not Serpent material!" Theo cried incredulously before looking at Draco. "Back me up here, Malfoy!"

"Draco, you know she's one of us," Daphne said to Draco warmly but not before shooting a glare at Theo. "She's Astoria's best friend and she's been in our house for five years. Besides, she's a Pureblood which is more than I can say for _some _of us." Daphne spoke while shooting a withering look at Blaise who looked dumbfounded.

"Who are you all talking about?"

The group turned to the two individuals coming down the snowy path. Astoria Greengrass was very much the physical personification of her sister, though she didn't have certain features that made Daphne so beautiful. Still, Draco very much preferred the boisterous and outgoing personality of Astoria as compared to the cold demeanour of his sister. It was her best friend, however, that caught people's attention. From her red flowing hair to her snarky attitude, the witch was often seen as an anomaly in Slytherin despite her best efforts to fit in.

"What are you all talking about?" Ginny Weasley asked.

….

_Even after five years, I still have to deal with this shit_ Ginny thought angrily as she, together with the other Slytherins, made their way towards Hogsmeade. Though she kept to the back of the group together with Astoria who was cooing all over Millicent's jacket, she could hear every word of the heated discussion between Theo and Daphne.

"All I'm saying is," Theo ranted as Tracey tried to calm him down. "Is that Weasley isn't quite Serpent material, Daphne-"

"It's Ginevra, Theo! Call her by her first name." Daphne snapped.

_Actually, it's Ginny_ Ginny thought as she cringed at the use of her proper first name. Astoria, who finally stopped admiring the jacket, gave Ginny a playful nudge as Ginny gave a grateful smile. It was one of the things they both bonded with on their first day together, their displeasure of their names as Astoria exclaimed how she very much preferred the name, Tori.

"Just get her a damned jacket, Theo," Draco said lazily as Theo let out a groan of frustration. "You can't win a debate against Blaise, let alone Daphne."

"Besides," Daphne said as she gave Draco a grateful nod. "Isn't the group supposed to refer to the _Slytherin _Serpents? Ginevra constantly gets us house points for her performances in class, she's an excellent Duellist, a future member of the Slug Club and she's a Seeker-"

"-Reserve Seeker." Blaise interrupted. "Vaisey is our Seeker."

"Whatever!" Daphne huffed impatiently. "The point is that the girl is Slytherin through and through. And she deserves her jacket, isn't that right, Ginevra?"

"All I know is I don't have to prove if I'm worthy to the likes of you, Nott," Ginny said as the girls let out _ooohs_ while Theo shot her a glare. Ginny snuck a glance at Daphne who gave her a smile in response to her very Slytherin-like response before giving Theo a smug look.

Staring at Daphne, Ginny found herself recalling her first day at Hogwarts. Pandemonium was the best word to describe it when the Sorting Hat called out Slytherin's name. With the exception of Ron, her entire family had been sorted into Gryffindor. Her parents, together with her brothers, had protested fervently but it all fell to deaf ears. In the end, Ginny was forced to acclimate herself to new surroundings. The first year had been tough due to her status and Ginny recalled the number of times she ran to the bathroom, covered in tears at the thought of being the social pariah of Slytherin. It wasn't until Astoria arrived the next year that Ginny found a friend who not only increased her social standing but introduced her to her sister, Daphne. From then on, Ginny's standing continued to rise in Slytherin culminating into her joining their Quidditch team.

"Fine, I'll get her a jacket," Theo grumbled as the group entered into Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going to, first?" Draco asked though, Ginny noted, that he wore a strange look on his face, as though his thoughts were elsewhere.

"We have to go to the Three Broomsticks," Pansy exclaimed. "Daphne has an appointment with the Phoenix Club."

"Is that parasite Bones going to be there?" Tracey asked disgustedly.

"Like I care if about that little suck-up," Daphne replied dryly. "Even Patricia's just tolerating her at this point."

"Well, Patricia is the _Head_ Girl," Ginny exclaimed, leading to a chorus of laughs from the group. Daphne gave Ginny a smile.

"Don't knock it till you try it, Ginevra," Daphne replied before sighing. "Then again, a bonehead like Flint is a necessary evil I myself must do. Oh wells, just another year till I'm Head Girl and Flint can go back to using his hands to himself."

"You know, Daphne," Blaise said as he winked at Theo. "If you're ever feeling lonely, I could – HEY! Watch it, you fucking git!"

The entire group stopped as Ginny stared at a brown-haired wizard holding a camera on the ground. Colin Creevey, often the butt of the group's taunting, could not have found himself in a worse position.

"Don't you know you're supposed to say sorry?" Theo cried as he leaned over the trembling wizard. "What's say we teach him some manners?"

"What's going on?" cried a new voice as the group turned their attention the source of the voice. Ginny rolled her eyes at the sight of the witch who stood no less than four feet away with a blue notebook clutched in her arms.

"Ooooo, is Loony your new girlfriend, Creevey?" Astoria taunted as the group, including Malfoy who was now focused on what was happening, laughed along. "Loony Lovegood and Creepy Colin."

"Let me help you, Colin," Luna said, ignoring the group as she extended her hand. Colin looked between the group and Luna before pushing her hand away.

"Go away, Loony!"Colin shrieked before grabbing his camera and running away, to the cackles of laughter from the group.

"Awww, they would have made such a lovely couple." Pansy taunted. "The creep who takes creepy photos and the freaks who draws creepy pictures. Tell me, Loony, are you still upset that your crush has been taken?"

"She has a crush?!" Tracey cried incredulously. "Who is it?"

"Doesn't matter!" Ginny growled as she took a step towards Luna. "It's not like she stands a chance with him."

Luna opened her mouth to say something. Instead, thinking better of it, the witch looked down to the ground before turning away. Sneaking a glance at the group, Ginny marched towards Luna before grabbing her notebook.

"Hey, give that back!" Luna cried as Ginny threw the notebook to Tori. Almost on cue, the entire group spread themselves out with each member throwing the notebook around until finally, Daphne threw it towards Ginny.

"Here, you go," Ginny said as she extended her notebook towards a tired-looking Luna who had been chasing after her book. "Take it."

Luna looked warily at Ginny before reaching her hand out. Right before she could take it, Ginny launched the book in the air towards a pile of snow.

"Guess, I do have the Quidditch skills, after all," Ginny whispered as she glared at the witch before roughly walking past her.

"Let's go," Draco said as the rest of the group resumed their chatter and headed towards the Three Broomsticks.

…..

_Bitch_

Not one to curse out loud or even at all, Luna can't help but think the word as she ran towards her notebook. For some reason, Ginny Weasley always had it out of her. At first, Luna had assumed it was because of who she fancied. It was only later that she found out the truth. Back during their third year, Ginny Weasley had tried out and made it onto the Slytherin team. During her first game, due to some obscene outburst from the usual commentator Lee Jordan, Professor McGonagall had put her in charge of commentating. It was a role in which Luna regretted taking. Her perchance to notice things out of the ordinary as well as speaking bluntly caused unwanted attention to be drawn towards the Slytherin Seeker. Ginny was clearly suffering from nerves and Luna's commentary had caused her to screw up her first match. After the game, a seething Ginny and her friends had confronted Luna. Despite her apologies, Ginny's reputation took a slight dive, something which the witch had never forgiven Luna for.

Anyone else might break after the relentless taunts, insults, and bullying on part of the Slytherins but Luna took it in her stride. Her father always said she had thick skin, something which helped her greatly in Hogwarts. Like her life, her entry into Ravenclaw was uneventful and with her quirky behaviour, Luna had been shunted aside even by her Ravenclaw mates as a freak. She had no friends, maybe an acquaintance in her fellow Ravenclaw, Neville Longbottom but that didn't bother Luna. Only two things got under her skin, one of which was Ginny Weasley and the other, strangely enough, was -

"Hey there, Loony!"

Luna found herself being dragged out of her thoughts as she spied a group of fourth-year Gryffindors slacking by the corner of an alleyway. One of the boys made rude sexual gestures towards her while the others hooted and cheered him on.

"_The world is a cruel place, Luna. That's why we turn to fantasy"_

Luna took comfort in the words of her late mother in moments like this. Still, it took every bit of her personality not to be bothered by the actions of others. Even Colin rejecting her help had not bothered her at all and Luna knew better than to let –

SPLAT!

The cold feeling of soft ice caused Luna to yelp as the boys howled in laughter at the snowball which landed on her face. Walking as fast as she could, Luna left the outskirts of the village as she sought solace in the throngs of Hogsmeade. It was one of her favourite places in the world. The only all-wizarding village in Britain, Hogsmeade, with all its street shops, was simply a sight to behold. From joke shops such as Zonko's to the enticing smell of sweets coming from HoneyDukes, there wasn't a thing you couldn't find in Hogsmeade. Surrounding by the chatter and boisterous moods of students flocking on a weekend, Luna felt her spirits rising as she found a bench to sit on and wipe the remnants of the snow that still stuck to her face.

Though people hated her, Luna couldn't say the same for herself. There was something fascinating about seeing life move about its day. From the strange animals in the Forbidden Forests to the gnomes in the garden back home, Luna was always fascinated by seeing how creatures live and interact about their day. Her father had always remarked that she had a unique ability to see the world differently and though no one knew this about her, there was no creature that fascinated Luna more than humans.

The pages on the front of the notebook were filled with pictures of a variety of creatures from Blubbering Humdingers to Twinklefits but on the back was where Luna kept her most precious of drawings. Images such as a group of boys in her common room arguing over who the best seeker of all time was or that of a couple flirting in the Three Broomsticks could be found on those pages with exception of the last few which were filled with only one specific person. Thinking it was time for a new drawing, Luna flipped open her notebook while removing a quill from her robes.

"What's that?"

Luna turned to see that a third-year Ravenclaw student was seated next to her. She recognised him as Damien Darby, one of the few Ravenclaws who had not taken to insulting her. Rather, Darby was part of many societies in Hogwarts, most notably a group promoting elfish welfare. Darby was staring at Luna's notebook, particularly a sketch of a large, brown horn with ridges.

"Oh, that," Luna said warmly as she smiled at her fellow Ravenclaw. "That is the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. My father has one at home."

"What's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Darby asked as Luna clapped her hands enthusiastically. If there was one thing she loved, it was to be able to pass down her knowledge of fantastic beasts.

"Well, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack is a creature only found in tropical countries although, a few are thought to have been spotted in Europe. It is said that –"

"That's not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Luna turned her attention up to see a bushy-haired witch with brown eyes staring defiantly at her.

"That's an Erumpent's Horn, Darby and they're very dangerous to have around. The Ministry lists it as a Class-B Tradeable Material." Hermione Granger replied as Luna heaved a quiet sigh. Hermione was the President of S.P.E.W, the club to which Darby was a part of.

"Why is it dangerous?" Darby asked turning his attention to his mentor with his fascination with Luna slowly ebbing away.

"Well, they're highly explosive."

"But she has one of those in her home!" Darby exclaimed as Hermione raised an eyebrow at Luna.

"I certainly hope not! Those things can cause damage even with the slightest touch. If you have such an item, Luna, I will have to report it to Professor McGonagall."

"No." Luna lied as she shook her head. "I was just…making a story."

"Why would you make up something like that?" Darby said as he shifted uncomfortably away. "No wonder the others call you Loony."

"Come now, Darby!" Hermione said impatiently as her interest with Luna disappeared. "We're going to be late for our meeting." Darby made a face at Luna before leaving with Hermione. Taking a deep breath, Luna turned back to her notebook, only to be interrupted once more.

"Hello there, Miss Lovegood. How are you, today?" cried the short wizard as Luna leapt to her feet, beaming.

"Hi, Professor Flitwick," Luna said at the presence of her Head of House. "I'm fine, today. How has your day been?"

"Incredibly dull and I'm afraid, it's only going to get worse." Flitwick chuckled as Luna looked at him bemusedly. "The teachers are having a conference upstairs at Madam Rosmerta's. Professor Moody is hosting the meeting."

"I see," Luna said, offering an apologetic smile. Professor Moody was the Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts and with his no-nonsense approach and fierce temper, Luna sympathised with her professor greatly.

"Now, I've been hearing from Hagrid that you've been spending time admiring his Thestrals," Flitwick said in a kind yet strict tone. "Now while I encourage your need for knowledge, Miss Lovegood, I urge you to be cautious. Thestrals are wild creatures and are not be trifled with which is why we don't allow students to mingle near their nesting grounds."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Luna exclaimed as she gave a sheepish look. "I'm just fascinated by these creatures."

"Given your history, my dear, I understand." Professor Flitwick replied gently. "Which is why I've asked Hagrid to give you a private lesson with these creatures himself," Flitwick exclaimed brightly as Luna felt her spirits rising once more.

"Oh, really? Thank you, Professor!" Luna exclaimed excitedly.

"Far be it for me to tell you to stay away, given the rebel I was when I was a student!" Flitwick chuckled before a thought occurred to him. "In fact, I believe Mr. Longbottom is also interested in these creatures, given that their saliva is extremely beneficial as plant fertilizer. Why don't you find him and set us aside a table at the Three Broomsticks? It would give me an excuse to dodge Professor Moody's meeting early!"

"Of course, I can do that!" Luna replied as Flitwick clapped his hands.

"Excellent. You've just made my day, Miss Lovegood. Toodles!" Flitwick said as Luna beamed at the sight of her professor disappearing into the crowd. Grabbing her notebook, Luna raced through the crowd as she tried to rein in her excited thoughts. _This day just got a lot better!_ Luna thought as she pictured herself interacting with the Thestrals as Hagrid supervised over her and Neville. Maybe she might even get to ride one!

BUMP!

"Sorry!" Luna cried as she fell to the ground after hitting into someone accidentally.

"Hey! Watch where…well, well, look who it is."

As Luna picked herself up, she found herself locking eyes with a beautiful witch with blue eyes and long brown hair cascading from her sides. Luna felt her heart pounding in her chest at the sight of the witch. It wasn't so much the witch who bothered her but namely the person whom the witch was usually with.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, Loony?" Lavender Brown mocked as her clique of friends laughed behind her. "On your way to meet your Healer at St Mungo's?"

"I was just going to the Three Broomsticks, Lavender," Luna replied as her eyes searched wildly for the sight of him.

"Why? Are you on your way to a _date_?" Lavender mocked with incredulity to her tone while behind her, the Patil twins gave mock shock expressions. "Can't wait to see which loser would settle himself for the likes of you."

"Could be Smith. He dates anything that moves." Padma Patil, her fellow Ravenclaw, replied as a loud voice boomed from behind Luna.

"You talking about me?" Zacharias Smith cried as Luna noticed the wizard coming from behind her. Realising whom he was staring at, Zacharias made a face.

"Ewww, you know I have standards right?"

"Why don't you give it a rest, Smith?"

Luna froze at the sound of the voice as a lanky teen with red hair walked in front of her. From his iridescent blue eyes to the way he smiled, Luna felt her heart pounding as she stared up at the most fascinating thing she had ever seen in her life.

Ronald Weasley. Brother to Ginny Weasley, of all people.

Luna couldn't put a finger as to why she fancied Ron. Perhaps it was the way Ron was always making people around him laugh. Perhaps it was the way Ron wore his heart on his sleeve, ready to defend his friends and his sister from being mocked. Perhaps it was just the way he looked, from the muscles he developed due to Quidditch to the way his red hair and blue eyes made her knees go weak.

"You dropped this," Ron said as he handed Luna over her notebook. "You still carry that thing around?"

"Yes," Luna squeaked as she willed herself not to blush. "It's from my mother."

"I see," Ron said as he gave her a warm smile. The Lovegoods and the Weasleys lived close to each other back home and though Luna had no prior interaction with any of the Weasleys before her time at Hogwarts, their families knew each other well enough for Ron to know about her late mother.

"What's she got in there?" Smith said as he made an attempt to reach for the notebook, only for Ron to push his hands away.

"Leave it. It's not your property, Smith." Ron snarled as Smith scowled at him.

"Won-Won!" Lavender cried, in a sickly, high-pitched tone that Luna found highly irritating. "You're not wearing that cologne I got for you."

"No…" Ron replied, looking rather uncomfortable. "I was saving it for a special day."

"Oh," Lavender said before squealing and planting her lips onto his. Luna looked away, the sight of Lavender kissing Ron making her stomach turn.

"You're so sweet!"

"Right," Ron replied as he motioned towards the Three Broomsticks. "Look, Smith and I got to go and meet Diggory. We're having a meeting for the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team."

"Well, the girls want to shop for a bit. I'll see you there later, okay? I'll miss you, Won-Won!" Lavender said as she blew a kiss at Ron before walking away with the Patil twins. Smith turned to Ron while batting his eyes.

"_I'll miss you, Won-Won!"_ Smith mocked as Ron shoved his arm at him.

"Shut it!" Ron growled. "Let's just go to the Three Broomsticks. I could use a pint."

"Whatever you say, my Lord," Smith said as he sneered at Luna before walking away.

"Sorry about him, he's just being a prick today. Wait, he's a prick every day." Ron said to Luna who nodded her head. Luna couldn't care about Smith or Lavender Brown, not with Ron's gorgeous eyes staring at her.

"Listen, I heard from some people that my sister was giving you a hard time today," Ron said as he heaved a sigh.

"No, she wasn't. Trust me, your sister and I are good." Luna said hastily as Ron raised an eyebrow. With only silence in response, Ron gave a shrug before clapping Luna on her shoulder.

"Hope you enjoy yourself today," Ron said as he made his way towards the pub. Luna sighed as her eyes followed the sight of the wizard, her face breaking into a smile.

"What do you see in him?" said a voice close to her ear, causing Luna to nearly jump in the air.

"Neville!" Luna cried as she turned to see a skinny, round-faced wizard with brown hair scowling at the sight of the departing Ron. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," Neville said as he turned to give Luna an apologetic smile. "It's just that sometimes, you see the world through rose-tinted glasses. Guys like Ronald Weasley are only perfect in your head. He's just like the other Quidditch blokes around school."

"You're one to talk," Luna said as she shook her head. Even after five years of knowing each other, she still didn't know what bothered Neville about Ron so much. It was a testament to her thought earlier of why she had no friends. Despite being nice to her on many occasions, Neville was, in many ways, still a stranger, an acquaintance more than a friend. Neville hardly ever spoke about himself, was secretive about his family's background and often never revealed to her what he truly felt despite Luna prompting him many times. Though they hung out often, Luna was sometimes a little jealous of Neville's other clique of friends.

"Harry's different, Luna," Neville said dismissively as Luna rolled her eyes. She knew that Neville thought the world of Harry even though the wizard's reputation was one Luna found distasteful. Then again, Harry's friendship meant that Neville had something Luna didn't. Protection.

"Anyways, I have some good news!" Luna said as she told Neville about Flitwick's meeting. The boy's eyes lit up as Neville beamed at Luna.

"That's great! I'm heading there anyways." Neville said as, for the first time, Luna noticed that the wizard was carrying a quill set. "What's that?" Luna asked as she pointed to the item.

"Oh!" Neville said with a slight blush as he handed the quill set over to her. "It's a gift."

"Oooo, this set is gorgeous, Neville. Who gave it to you?"

"No…er…" Neville said as he shifted uncomfortably. "It's from me to you. I figured it would make a good welcome back to school present."

"Neville, this is too much." Luna sighed as she smiled at him. "I really couldn't…"

"Please." Neville said as he smiled at her. "I insist."

"Well, how about I buy us a round of Butterbeer?" Luna said as she wrapped her arm around Neville's, who for some reason, seemed to tense up.

"Sure. Do you mind following me to Quality Quidditch Supplies?" Neville said hastily. "The order for his gloves just came in yesterday and I volunteered to take them for Harry."

"He didn't force you, did he?" Luna said as Neville shook his head. Luna opened her mouth to say more but thought better of it. "Well, we better get going. At this hour, that place is bound to be packed."

"Thanks, Luna," Neville said as Luna noticed that his ears had turned pink. Thinking nothing of it, the pair made their way through the crowd towards one of Hogsmeade's busiest shops.

…..

Lively

It was the most appropriate word to describe the scene inside the Three Broomsticks. The inn, headed by Madam Rosmerta, had always been crowded and frequented by locals but on a Hogsmeade weekend, the crowd filled to such capacity that it almost seemed like a Quidditch Final between Bulgaria and England was being broadcasted. Throngs of students filled the tables with large goblets and cups of Butterbeer being drunk and toasted continuously. Just like in the Great Hall, each table was filled with a specific group or clique. Yet, Ronald Weasley couldn't care much about the other students as his eyes were only on the table with a yellow and black banner over the top. On it, was a singular word, one which made Ron swell with pride.

_Champions_

It had been a while coming, but after years of playing second fiddle to Herbert Fleet, Ron had finally gotten his shot at being Keeper due to an injury on the former. What followed next was the stuff only underdogs dreamed of as a season with Harry Potter missing a couple of matches due to some absurd reasons and with Ron finally overcoming his nerves to put in three man-of-the-match performances, Hufflepuff had won the Quidditch Cup. What followed next was weeks of compliments, congratulations and even a girlfriend in Lavender Brown who practically snogged him into accepting her. Yet none of them came close to the day when he returned to the Burrow where his entire family threw a celebration just for him. To hear his mother whisper just how proud she was, Ron wouldn't have traded that for all the Galleons in Gringotts.

"There he is, folks! The best cracking keeper in all of Hogwarts!" cried the voice of Justin Finch-Fletchey as the table of Hufflepuffs cheered for him. Ron laughed gratefully before his eyes fell onto an individual seated at the head of the table.

"Cedric?" Ron gasped at the sight of his now-former Captain. Beside him were seventh years, Leanne and Herbert Fleet as Ron and Zacharias joined Ernie Macmillan, Justin, Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones at their table. Cedric Diggory was as close to perfect as anyone Ron knew, with the exception of his brothers. Former Head Boy, member of the Phoenix Club, top in his classes as well as Hufflepuff's star Seeker, Cedric was everything Ron wanted to be. Not to mention, he was incredibly handsome and humble, making him quite the catch with the ladies.

"Surprised to see your former Captain here?" Cedric chuckled as Ron gave a laugh. It was Cedric who first approached Ron back in his second year about joining the Quidditch Team. A combination of both Bill and Charlie, Ron constantly sought the approval of Cedric for anything he did.

"Now, that Ron and Zach are here, I thought we begin. As you all know, with Charlton and myself graduating last year, you're in need of a new Seeker and Beater. But before we go into that, I would like to introduce the new captain this year, Leanne Banks!"

The entire table, including Ron, clapped their approval. Leanne had been vice-captain last year and it was no surprise that the sixth-year was to be captain this year. Leanne smiled though she protested slightly at being introduced with her surname, a quirk that prompted an apologetic laugh from Cedric.

"Thank you, Cedric," Leanne said as she beamed at the group. "Now, my top priority this year is to show the entire school that last season was not a fluke. For years, Hufflepuff has been seen as a lot of duffers with our games being called easy matches by the other houses. Never again! We have ourselves the best Hufflepuff team in ages, more so now that Cedric and Charlton are gone –"

This prompted another wave of laughter.

"- but on a serious note, we will defend our title with everything we got. I will be hosting our first try-outs next Friday and Saturday. We will need both days if we are to find competent players. Hopefully, my vice-captain will agree with me."

The entire table shifted their eyes to Herbert who shook his head. "She said vice-captain, not reserve Keeper. Although, I'm hoping to make it as a Beater."

"You're not vice-captain?" Ernie asked bemusedly as Herbert shook his head. Ron exchanged a look with Zacharias. _Reserve keeper?_

"I know, tradition dictates that I should be next in line as vice-captain but I'm not captain material at all. Besides, with our vice-captain guarding the posts, I doubt I'll even make Keeper."

Justin let out a gasp as Ernie's eyes widened in realisation. Ron felt a hand smacking him on his back while Zacharias shook his head at him. It was then that Herbert's words dawned on Ron as he gasped out loud.

"I'm the vice-captain?" Ron exclaimed as Cedric, Leanne and Herbert nodded.

"You've earned it. Congratulations, Ron!" Cedric cried out loud as the initial shock behind the decision gave way to a chorus of cheers and congratulations. Ron found his back being patted furiously by his mates while his hand shook with the same vigour at the handshakes given by his peers.

"But…Herbert…" Ron said as the seventh-year shook his head once more. "You've more than earned the part, Ron. Besides, with you as Vice-Captain and our Keeper, I don't stand a chance getting that position back. Hence why I want to be a Beater! It be the easiest job in the world with you as our last line of defence!"

"Don't get cocky, Herbert!" Leanne chastised him before smiling at Ron. "You're going to help me plan the trainings and our strategies. If we do well this year, Ron, you're looking at a sure-fire promotion to Captain next year."

"Captain?" Ron stammered as Cedric gave a hearty chuckle. "Here's some more good news. My dad is friends with the manager of the Falmouth Falcons. If you keep this up, I'm going to ask my dad to send down a talent scout to watch you play. Imagine playing for the Falcons, Ron! We could even be future teammates!"

"The Falcons?!" Ron whispered as he tried to imagine himself playing for the second-best Quidditch team in the National League. Not only would this mean that he would be swimming in Galleons, something which could greatly help his family but it was an achievement that no Weasley had ever done before.

Ron gulped out words of gratitude as an excited Justin leapt on top of his seat.

"HEY EVERYONE! RONALD WEASLEY'S OUR VICE CAPTAIN. THE CHAMPS ARE HERE TO STAY!"

As his remark was met with a mixture of cheers and boos, the latter notably from the Slytherins, Ron felt his throat going dry as his heart started to beat frantically in his chest. Not wanting his friends to notice, Ron forced a smile onto his face as he sat on his seat, watching Cedric pull Justin back down while chastising him for his outburst.

It was his nerves that kept him as a Reserve Keeper for a couple of years. Though he was much better than most of his House, Ron's inability to handle his nerves as well as his constant fumbling of the Quidditch ball was what kept him as second choice. Not that it mattered. Herbert Fleet was the first choice and despite being horrible at Keeping, his confidence, as well as his seniority, meant that Fleet was always first in line. Until last year, that is.

"_Cedric, I can't do it. I can't be like Herbert!" Ron cried as Cedric smacked his own forehead while they trailed through the Quidditch Pitch._

"_That's good! Don't be like Herbert, for Merlin's sake, Ron. He's awful. With the exception of Potter, I'm a better Seeker than anyone the other Houses can throw at us. But by the time I catch the Snitch, we would have let in so many goals that all I'm doing is reducing the deficit. We didn't even win any games last year!"_

"_But I've never played a competitive Quidditch match before. What if I play worse than Herbert? I'm not that good of a Keeper, Cedric."_

"_Again with the whining and the self-pity!". Cedric heaved a sigh before placing a hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. "Ronald Weasley, take it from someone who knows a thing or two about Quidditch. You're a much better player than you give yourself credit for, loads better than Fleet. It's that damn set of nerves that always brings you down and I can't imagine why! You're a Hufflepuff, for Helga's sake! If there was anyone else in our House, anyone else who could Keep better than you, trust me, we would have found them. But there isn't. You're our only hope, Weasley. Are you going to step up or not?"_

_Ron stopped in his tracks as he stared down at the ground. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're saying. It's just…I don't want to let anyone down."_

_Cedric gave Ron a smile. "I get it, believe me, I do. Now, I remember back when I was younger a certain redhead named Charlie Weasley. He too, like you, was put in such a position when Gryffindor was going through a losing streak and you know what he did? He stepped up and became the hero Gryffindor needed him to be. I see a lot of similarities in you, Ron."_

_Ron looked up at Cedric, with a puzzled expression on his face. "You really think I can be as good as Charlie?"_

_Cedric gave Ron a wink before leaning into his ear. _

"_I think you can be better."_

Despite it being a happy memory, a sharp pang of guilt came over Ron. Quickly dismissing the thought, Ron turned his attention back to the table. Leanne had already been talking about tactics when a sharp voice interrupted the group's discussion.

"Wait, did you say, Friday? Ron can't do Friday, he has a prefect's meeting." Susan Bones exclaimed as almost everyone at the table let out a collective groan.

"It's okay, Susan," Ron said, not wanting an argument to break out. "I won't be going to the meeting."

"And why not?" Susan demanded as Ron exchanged a look with Ernie.

"Because…I'm not going to be a prefect any longer," Ron announced, much to the surprise of the entire table with the notable exception of Ernie who looked awkwardly away. "I've spoken to Professor Sprout and she's agreed to let Ernie take my place as Prefect. Especially now with my new Quidditch responsibilities, it looks like I made the right call."

"What about me?!" Smith moaned though no one paid him any attention.

"You're giving up being a Prefect for Quidditch?!" Susan said incredulously.

"Ron, you're sure about this?" Cedric asked as Ron nodded his head. Cedric gave Ron a nod of approval before clapping the wizard on his back. "Well, if you're okay with it, it's fine by me."

"Are you serious?!" Susan said as she stared at Cedric in disbelief. "Cedric, that's his future right there!"

"Now, hold on a minute –" Cedric began to speak, only for Ron to cut him off.

"What do you mean by my future?" Ron asked, sounding slightly annoyed at what Susan was implying.

"Look, Ron, no offense but you could follow in the footsteps of your brothers Bill and Percy! Your brother Bill is a celebrated Curse-Breaker and Percy has been promoted to Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic himself! He could be Minister one day! Being a Prefect would do wonders for your future career!"

"Not if he's joining a Quidditch team!" Justin replied indignantly as both Ernie and Zacharias came to Ron's defence. To his credit, Cedric stuck by Ron's decision while Leanne and Herbert gave awkward, neutral opinions.

"Being a Prefect shows leadership qualities, Macmillan!"

"So does a Vice-Captain!"

"He could be Head Boy one day! That would do wonders for applications to the Aurors, or being a Healer or even a Ministry position!"

"Who cares about all that if he's playing for the Falcons!"

"Could everyone stop talking as if I'm not here?!" Ron bellowed as the group clamped their mouths shut. Looking at everyone, Ron felt a slight pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry, I'm just…I'm just doing what I feel is best, Susan," Ron said as he turned to his fellow Hufflepuff. Susan let out a sigh.

"Ron, I know you love Quidditch but you have to admit, as a long term career, there aren't many out there who make it as Quidditch players."

"You're just saying that because you idolised Bill and Percy, Bones." Smith snapped. "Ron's here more like Charlie."

"And where did Charlie end up?" Susan retorted. "Oh, that's right. The best Quidditch player Hogwarts seen in years and he ended up raising dragons on a farm in Romania. If Charlie can't make it, what makes you think that –"

"SUSAN!" Cedric cried as Susan let out a gasp. But the damage had been done. Ron felt the familiar feeling of anxiety rushed through him as Susan tried to make amends but to no avail.

"Maybe we should make a move, Susan," Cedric said as he stood up. "Susan, why don't you join the other Phoenix Club members while Ron and I have a talk outside?"

"Okay," Susan whispered as she offered Ron an apologetic look. "Look, Ron, I didn't mean –"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Ron said as the trio made their way from the table. As Cedric began to lead Ron outside, Ron stopped in his tracks.

"It's okay, mate. I think I just want to be alone for a while. Get some fresh air." Ron said as Cedric stared at him.

"Look, about what Susan said…"

"No, Cedric. It's fine. Really, it's fine." Ron said as he tried his best to offer Cedric a smile. "You've always been there for me and sooner or later, I got to face the world without you. I get what she's trying to say but I still stand by my decision."

Cedric placed a comforting hand on Ron as he smiled at the redhead. "Okay, mate. Go get some air. We'll catch up later."

Ron gave Cedric a smile before walking out of the pub. Outside, Ron took a deep breath as he watched the crowds mingle in front of him. Some of the students who had come out of the pub offered Ron their congratulations. Wanting to be alone, Ron offered a quick smile before walking towards a nearby alley. He spotted a dumpster with trash spewing from its top with a worn-out hat in its centre.

The hat prompted Ron to recall his Sorting. The Sorting Hat had wanted to put him in Gryffindor with the other Weasleys but hesitated as it sensed Ron's desire to stand out amongst his brothers. The Hat recognised other qualities such as Ron's loyalty to his friends and with that, came the choice between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Knowing he would never stand out in Gryffindor, Ron chose the House of the badger, home to the average but fair, patient, hardworking and nice.

_Qualities that don't describe me_ Ron thought angrily as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, Ron flinched at the sight of the individual smirking away.

"Fancy a fag?"

"No thanks. I quit, remember." Ron scowled as he attempted to walk away, only to feel a grip on his arm.

"Pity. Your sister is still an avid consumer of my products."

"Leave Ginny alone!" Ron growled as he brandished his wand, only to be met with laughter.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Don't forget, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have survived your first match. Granted, I didn't expect you to do so well in the other two without my product helping you but still, can you imagine the scandal if I told everyone your dirty little secret? What would Cedric think? What would your mother think?"

"You promised you wouldn't."

"And I keep my promise so long as you do me a favour."

"What's the favour?" Ron growled in frustration. "You've never told me about it."

"That's because it's not time yet. But don't you worry, vice-captain. Once the time comes, we'll be even. And you'll get to keep everything I gave you. Sure you don't want one? I got loads."

Ron pushed the cigarette stick away as the individual chuckled before disappearing. "See you around, Vice-Captain."

Ron pounded his fist against the wall as an angry tear streaked down his face. His entire life, Bill, Charlie, Percy, even Fred, and George had achieved things that Ron could only dream about. His parents were constantly talking about them and with Ginny being the only daughter, Ron had been shunted aside like a book on a shelf, never read and never opened. Average was the best description of his life until Cedric came along and for the first time in his life, Ron had someone who actually gave a shit about him. Who needed him. The look on Cedric's face while holding up the trophy was one he would never forget.

_I did this for you. For all of you._

Composing himself, Ron took a deep breath before entering the pub. As he headed to his table, he was accosted by a witch with long, blonde hair and a squeaky high-pitched voice.

"Won-Won! I heard the news! You're Vice-Captain!" Lavender said as she placed kisses all over his face. Bumping into someone, Lavender whirled around as Ron stared past his girlfriend at a bushy-haired witch.

"Watch where you're going, Hermione!" Lavender said as Hermione Granger rolled her eyes.

"You bumped into me, Lavender! Anyways, Ron, is it true? You're really not going to be a Prefect anymore?"

"Has it been spreading?!" Ron exclaimed as Lavender let out a scoff.

"Oh, who cares, Granger. My Won-Won is a champion and the Vice-Captain of his team. Soon, he'll be the Captain of this year Quidditch champions!"

"Way to show your support for your House, Brown. I agree with Susan, Ron. You should really think this through."

"My Ron is fine without your help, Hermione!" Lavender said as she rolled her eyes before widening them upon staring at Hermione. "Hermioneeee! Your teeth! You've shrunk them! You look so much better! Now, let me just do your hair and maybe Ron here can introduce you to some handsome Quidditch boys!"

Hermione let out a groan of frustration. "Never mind. Just think about your decision, Ron."

"Rude, much?" Lavender said as Hermione went out of earshot.

"I'm surprised that the two of you are friends," Ron said as he watched Hermione walk away. Lavender gave a shrug.

"She's good for homework and I help her with her looks. It's a mutually beneficial partnership. Anyways, let's focus on what's important?" Lavender said as she gripped his arm tightly before squealing once more. "I'm dating a future Quidditch Captain. The other girls are going to be so jealous when I tell them!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Ron whispered softly as Lavender led him back to their table.

…..

"Hermione! Over here! We have a table."

Hermione saw a couple of tiny hands wave her over as a large smile broke on her face. Pulling Damien in front of her, Hermione pointed to the table where two third years, Natalie McDonald from Gryffindor and Aly Stebbins from Hufflepuff. As Hermione pushed her way through the crowd, her face fell at the sight of where in the pub the table was located. Less than ten feet away, were the last bunch of people Hermione wanted to see.

_Should we just go find another table? Oh, honestly, Hermione, you're a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! Pull yourself together!_

"Take a seat, Damien," Hermione said as she handed him over a chair. It was then that Hermione noticed the other problem she had with the table. There were only three seats.

"Sorry, Hermione," Natalie exclaimed as she gave her mentor an apologetic look. "I tried to ask around but no one would give up a seat."

"Natalie and I can share one!" Aly said as she got off her chair while attempting to squeeze herself onto Natalie's chair.

"No, no, that's okay. Aly, you take your seat." Hermione said as she turned her attention to the dreaded group of Slytherins. Of course, it had to be him, using a chair to support his legs. Hermione let out an internal groan of frustration before making her way towards Draco Malfoy.

"Ahem." Hermione coughed as one by one the Slytherins turned to face her with the exception of Malfoy who kept his eyes firmly fixed on his glass of Butterbeer.

"What do you want, Granger?" Tracey asked, her tone filled with disgust.

"I see you have a spare chair. May I borrow it?" Hermione spoke in her best matter-of-fact tone while she kept her eyes firmly on Draco. The group turned their attention to Draco, who upon realising that the group had suddenly gone silent and were now staring at him, gave them a puzzled look before locking eyes with Hermione.

"Oh, what now?!" Draco groaned as his expression changed into a sneer. "What do you want?"

"I asked if I can borrow this chair." Hermione said. "You don't seem to need it very much and I would appreciate it if you would give it to me."

Draco turned to his face towards his group of friends, all of whom were looking at him for a reaction. Smirking back at Hermione, Draco sat up from his slouched position to stare into her eyes. Though Hermione noted that Draco's eyes were normally stone-grey, she could see a tinge of blue in them. Noticing this, Hermione felt an unusual feeling race through her body, one which she dismiss as quickly.

"How about no?" Draco said as he used his feet to drag the chair closer to him. "As you can see, I'm tired and my tired legs need to rest."

"Bollocks!" Hermione snapped. "Unless you had some sort of severe leg injury, there's no good reason for keeping this chair."

"Actually there is. Why would I want the likes of you to taint this beautiful chair with that arse of yours?" Draco said with a smirk, to a chorus of laughter from the boys.

Hermione felt her face turn red though she was unsure if it was from anger or embarrassment. Deciding that she had enough of the nonsense, Hermione pulled the chair away from Draco, causing his legs to crash to the floor.

"HEY!" Draco called out as the rest of the group stood to their feet.

"You could have injured Draco!" Pansy shrieked as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, the only thing that he's hurt from is his ego." Hermione said before glaring at the wands that were brandished at her by Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. "I suggest you put your wands away. You know the rules about using magic outside of Hogwarts. You don't want to earn detentions, now do you?"

This comment earned a collective groan from the group as Theo barked out at her.

"You know what your problem is, don't you Granger? You need a good shag."

Hermione, who had begun to walk over back to her table, turn around with such force that the chair nearly slipped from her fingers.

"Excuse me?!" Hermione cried indignantly, appalled by Theo's lack of tact. "How dare you –"

"Theo's right!" Tracey said, cutting her off. "If you got so action, Granger, you wouldn't be as uptight as you are now. Why don't you get together with some nerd at the library? A little fling between the shelves might do you good."

"I…Well, I…" Hermione said as she trembled with rage.

"Oh, looks like you broke her, Tracey." Draco said as he recovered from Hermione's action. "Look at that, Granger's at a loss of words. Guess miracles do happen after all." Draco exclaimed.

"I rather much have my life the way it is than yours, Draco." Hermione said as Draco stood up to glare at her. "You were once in line to be a prefect and now, look what happened to you. Nothing more than a self-entitled delinquent playing leader with some pathetic gang."

"Better than being the Mudblood no boy wants." Draco snarled as Hermione bit her lip at the mention of the vulgar word. "Better get used to having your cat around, Granger. Seems like that's going to be your only companion."

"Maybe you should get one." Hermione said as she blinked hard to prevent tears from forming underneath her eyes. "Might keep you company while you wait for your father to be released."

A loud gasp echoed from the group as Draco took a menacing step towards her.

"How dare you speak of my father like that!" Draco growled as Hermione took a step towards him, not wanting to back down.

"You're going to lecture me on what not to say? What was that name you called me again?" Hermione whispered, just loud enough for Draco to hear. They were both now less than two feet apart and while Draco had a head over her height, Hermione continued to stare defiantly into his eyes. Those bluish-grey eyes filled with such anger and pain, causing Hermione to feel slight intimidated at the sight of them. Draco was no longer the short, idiotic eleven-year-old teen but a tall and lanky teen who Hermione had to admit, she could see why girls like Lavender often called him cute –

_What?!_

Before Hermione could collect her thoughts however, a loud voice boomed over the crowd.

"HEY EVERYONE! RONALD WEASLEY'S OUR VICE CAPTAIN. THE CHAMPS ARE HERE TO STAY!"

This resulted in a shift of attention as the entire group, with the exception of Ginny, Astoria, Daphne and Draco shouted out jeers and boos. Draco seemed to be distracted as he turn the source of the sound with a look of disdain before a smirk came onto his lips. Exchanging a look with Ginny Weasley, Hermione watched as the latter rolled her eyes at him before walking away with Astoria. Hermione turned to see Draco already walking back to his seat as the entire Slytherin conversation now turned to the topic of Quidditch. Hermione was thankful for the momentary distraction as she took her chair back to her table and flung it down with such force that the three third-year students stared at Hermione with alarm.

"Hermione," Aly whispered as she exchanged a look with Natalie and Damien. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Hermione snapped as Aly flinched. Realising what she had just done, Hermione heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, Aly. It's just that the Slytherins rattled me, that's all."

"It's okay, Hermione." Aly responded as she gave Hermione a sympathetic look. "Hey, Natalie and I have some updates for you about S.P.E.W!"

While Aly and Natalie rattled on enthusiastically about their progress with S. so far, with Damien chipping in occasionally, Hermione found her mind wandering about. Something about what the Slytherins had said had struck a nerve with her. While she dealt with their insults and bigotry on a daily basis, it was the comment about her being alone that truly disturbed her.

It was last year, just before their O.W.L.s that Hermione had met up with Professor McGonagall for her career talk. Hermione had made up her mind for some time as to what she wanted to do with her life with her decision being a surprise for her favourite Professor.

"_You want to pursue further studies in the Muggle world? While I admire your desire to further your knowledge, Miss Granger, what about your career? What do you intend to do?"_

_Hermione heaved a sigh before looking determinedly at Professor McGonagall. "I intend to be either a lawyer or a doctor."_

"_In the Muggle world, you mean. What about a career in our world, Miss Granger? You could work for the Ministry of Law Enforcement or become a Healer at St Mungo's. Both are similar in terms of your Muggle counterparts and with your grades, you shouldn't have a problem achieving either."_

"_Thank you for those kind words, Professor." Hermione said as she averted her gaze. Out of all the professors in the school, McGonagall was by far her favourite, not only due to her strict nature when it came to upholding the rules but also of her logical and rational approach to life. That, together with a kind and caring nature, McGonagall was very much the woman that Hermione idolised herself to be with the exception of a singular issue._

"_I've discussed this with my parents and well, I made up my mind, Professor." Hermione said as she forced herself to look back at her mentor. Seeing the look on her professor's face, Hermione quickly replied._

"_It's not what you think. This decision was purely my own, not motivated in any way by my parents. My mother was, in fact, surprised by my decision."_

"_As am I, Miss Granger. Now, as a teacher, I do approve of what you have chosen and you will always have my full support but as a witch, I must say that I'm a little…perplexed by your choice. Do you mind if I share something honest with you, Miss Granger?"_

"_Certainly not." Hermione replied as Professor McGonagall beamed at her._

"_Now, having taught for many years, I have always prided myself on maintaining a professional image when it comes to my students. Yet I cannot deny having watched all of you grow up that I do not feel some form of affection towards all of you because, indeed, I do care, Miss Granger. Seeing the woman that you will one day, grow up to be, Hermione, I cannot but feel a sense of pride not just for myself but for witches everywhere. Even in the wizarding world, we suffer from the patriarchy and having an accomplished witch like yourself leading the way, you will no doubt become a role model for young witches to turn to. Call me foolish but that was even a part of me that hoped you would want to take a role as a Professor here at Hogwarts, perhaps even replacing me."_

"_That means a great deal to me, Professor, really it does." Hermione said as she felt her cheeks burn. To have McGonagall call her out as her replacement made Hermione's spirits soar and yet, just like with every fantasy, reality gripped her once more. While there were a great deal of things she enjoyed about Professor McGonagall, the truth was staring at her inside the office of her Head of House. There were many adjectives to describe the Professor, with almost all of them being positive in nature. But the one that most stood out at Hermione was unfortunately, not one anyone wanted to be._

_Lonely._

"_The prize for a strong, independent witch" Hermione had thought bitterly though she knew that wasn't even remotely close to the truth. It was, however, an important factor in making her decision. She didn't know much about McGonagall's own life to come to such a conclusion and there were strong independent witches out there with their own loving families._

"_Hermione, are you all right?" Professor McGonagall asked as Hermione flashed a smile_

"_Yes, perfectly fine." Hermione lied._

_I am most certainly not alright_ Hermione thought bitterly as she pulled herself away from the memory. Looking at the third year students who had formed part of her unofficial study group and recently approved society, Hermione wondered if she should tell them about her career choice. Wrestling with the idea in her head, Hermione decided that revealing her future was one she didn't want her members to be concerned about. As she continued to nod her head at Aly's updates on her study habits, Hermione found her mind going back to her decision.

She had taken the most Hermione-like approach to it, rationalising and weighing the advantages of living in the Muggle world as opposed to a wizarding one. The first reason was by far, the easiest. Despite being the smartest witch of her age, Hermione was still very much, a Muggleborn. This would be a huge obstacle in her quest to elicit change. It was the very reason why, despite her grades, Hermione was unable to get into the Phoenix Club, the exclusive elite club of Hogwarts which had produced countless Ministers and Ministry officials through the ages. Girls like Daphne Greengrass were willingly accepted into the club. Even Susan Bones, who had been trailing Hermione in her grades, stood a better chance because of her half-blood status.

This thought brought Hermione back to reality as she glanced poignantly at her fellow S.P.E.W members. It was her hope that while she would be unable to change the bigoted laws surrounding magical creatures such as elves, Hermione would at least be able to pass her knowledge so that future members could do so. Yet doing the above would not satisfy Hermione's need to make a difference. If she could not impact the wizarding world, then at least she would impact the Muggle world. Whatever it was, it was her dream to make a difference and that made up her second reason.

Other reasons included supporting herself financially and getting the best of both worlds but as Hermione turned her eyes back towards the group of Slytherins, she could not deny what the _real_ reason was.

She was tired of being a witch.

Hermione recalled her first day at Hogwarts and how she envied her naïve, eleven-year-old self. Back then, realising she was a witch and being introduced to the spectacle of the magical world filled her with such wonder that even the taunts and insults of the Slytherins could not get to her. Yet, as time passed, the wonder soon faded and instead, the harshness of reality set in. Though she had roommates and classmates, most found her to be annoying and bossy while others merely took advantage of her by pretending to be friends while spooning off her hard work. The lonely image of Professor McGonagall having spent years without a family of her own frightened her more than it should and there were really awful days where Hermione dreaded even going to class. Though S.P.E.W and her friendship with the third years had brought about some respite, it wasn't enough to change her mind. Or in this case, change her heart.

"Greengrass, Flint wants to see you." Susan Bones called out as Hermione got dragged from her thoughts. Turning her attention to the table, Hermione could see Daphne rolled her eyes before walking off with her underlings, Ginny Weasley and her sister Astoria, towards where the Phoenix Club was seated without so much of a thank you. Another interesting development was that Draco Malfoy suddenly stood up to his feet as his eyes seemed to be focused on someone across the pub.

"I'm going out for a fag," Draco said as he made his way out, not waiting for a response. Hermione had half a mind to follow him out and catch him in the act but a frustrated Susan suddenly joined them at their table.

"What a bitch," Susan exclaimed as Hermione's eyes widened at the use of the word. Noticing the witch, Susan rolled her eyes.

"Oh relax, I'm sure these three have heard worse," Susan said as she motioned towards Natalie, Damien, and Aly.

"Yeah, we have," Aly said as she exchanged a look with Natalie who giggled. Damien, on the other hand, stood to his feet.

"Well, I know some curse words in Gobbledegook." Damien said as the other two looked at him in awe. Before he could speak, however, Hermione handed him a bag of coins.

"Why don't the three of you go and order more Butterbeer? Get a basket of chips as well. My treat. And when you all come back, I can tell you about the activities we'll be doing for this year." This brightened up the trio's faces as all three made a beeline towards the counter. Watching them go, Susan gave a light scoff.

"Honestly, Hermione, I get that you're doing this to boost your record but you don't have to put that much effort into it. Just have a few official meetings to meet the guidelines and you're done. Focus your attention on other things."

"Well, Susan," Hermione replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "I happen to believe very much in this cause and I have to give credit to those three. Just because I'm the President doesn't mean I have to take a lasseiz-faire approach to this whole thing. The kids are good but they still need guidance."

"Hermione, no offense, but you're not going to change things. It's one thing if the organisation itself was asking for change and it's another to influence their minds. Elves like where they are. End of story. You're a witch, not an Elves spokesperson."

"Exactly." Hermione retorted. "Don't you think that as the so-called superior beings that we have a responsibility to do more for those who can't?"

"Don't lecture me about responsibility." Susan snapped. "I just happen to take the world as it is, not as what we want it to be. Besides, there are so many issues wrong with our own kind. Deal with that first rather than helping those who are happy where they are."

"Don't you have to be somewhere else?" Hermione snapped as Susan glared at her before softening her expression.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little muffed about some Hufflepuff issues."

"What happened?"

"Can you believe that Ron wants to give up being a Prefect just because he wants to spend more time on Quidditch? Is this what we girls have to deal with?"

"Ron wants to give up being a Prefect?!" Hermione repeated in surprise as Susan nodded her head.

"He claims he wants more time to focus on Quidditch because apparently, everyone thinks that a career in Quidditch is the only way to go! I tried talking some sense into him but you know how everyone in my House is like after we became champions. It's all Quidditch or nothing! Pathetic." Susan scoffed as Hermione stared at her.

"No offense here, Susan but why do you care so much? I mean, it is his life. Do you like…care for him or something?" Hermione replied as Susan rolled her eyes.

"Please! Weasley's not my type. Just because I'm in between relationships now doesn't mean I become a desperate bimbo like Lavender Brown." Susan said as Hermione recalled, with slight jealousy, that Susan, unlike her, had boyfriends in the past. "I'm just shocked at how one carelessly makes such decisions regarding their future. Can you imagine someone with so much potential throwing it all away for something as silly as Quidditch?"

For some reason, Hermione felt an uncomfortable feeling flow through her body. If Susan knew what Hermione intended to do, she would have a fit. Seeing Ron enter back into the pub, Hermione felt the determination rise within her. Just because she was throwing away a career in magic doesn't mean he had to as well. Though she didn't know Ron well, she did know his girlfriend and wasn't there some sort of girl code that you help with your friends' significant others or something like that?

Excusing herself, Hermione made her way over towards Ron, only for a blurred figure who was on her way to meet Ron herself bumped into her. Picking herself up, Hermione turned to see a familiar face, now next to Ron.

"You bumped into me, Lavender! Anyways, Ron, is it true? You're really not going to be a Prefect anymore?" Hermione demanded.

"Has it been spreading?!" Ron exclaimed as Lavender let out a scoff.

"Oh, who cares, Granger. My Won-Won is a champion and the Vice-Captain of his team. Soon, he'll be the Captain of this year Quidditch champions!"

"Way to show your support for your House, Brown. I agree with Susan, Ron. You should really think this through."

"My Ron is fine without your help, Hermione!" Lavender said as she rolled her eyes before widening them upon staring at Hermione. "Hermioneeee! Your teeth! You've shrunk them! You look so much better! Now, let me just do your hair and maybe Ron here can introduce you to some handsome Quidditch boys!"

As Hermione stared at Lavender, she was reminded of just how much she disliked her roommate. Never mind that Lavender was only being polite to her in order for Hermione to help her with her homework. What frustrated her most about Lavender was despite the girl being nothing more than a pretty bimbo, it was Lavender, not Hermione, who would go further in life in the wizarding world. Though she was a half-blood, Lavender came from a powerful Pureblood family. Not to mention her looks had already gotten her a boyfriend in Ronald Weasley. It had taken quite a while but in the end, Hermione had come to the shocking realisation that she was actually _envious_ of Lavender. It didn't matter how much she worked, Lavender would always be ahead of her. This thought had spread so much that in the end, it resulted in Hermione changing the way by asking her parents to help with her teeth.

_What have you become, Hermione?_ She thought as Hermione let out a groan of frustration.

"Never mind. Just think about your decision, Ron." Hermione said before walking back to her table. Susan had left but her three members had made their way back. A look at the Slytherin showed Draco Malfoy with a smirk on his face as he laughed along with his mates. This irked Hermione for some reason as she stomped back to her table, with determination in her eyes.

"THROW THEM TO ME, NEVILLE! HEY HERMIONE, WATCH OUT!"

Before Hermione realised what was going on, she felt a body slammed into her as Hermione was thrown forward, slamming into someone giving a shriek as a cup of Butterbeer spilled onto her face.

….

"Are you sure?" said the kindly, bespectacled man as Neville nodded his head awkwardly.

"Yes, I want that one. Thank you, Mr Scrivenshaft." Neville said as Joseph Scrivenshaft gave a light chuckle.

"Think nothing of it, my boy. But I must say, this doesn't seem like the type of quill set a wizard uses. Buying something special for someone special, I see?" Joseph said as Neville felt his ears go pink. Before Neville could respond, someone at the back of the line shouted out.

"Hey, Longbottom! Move your pansy arse!"

Joseph turned to the individual and fixed them with a stern glare. "If you and your friends can't behave, I suggest you leave my shop immediately."

"No, no, it's okay," Neville said hastily as he heard some curse words being lightly mumbled behind him. The last thing he needed today was for attention to be drawn to himself.

"Nonsense, my lad. Some people just don't have the patience and you mustn't let them walk all over you." Joseph Scrivenshaft replied as he started to bag Neville's item. "If you start letting such people have their way, they will never stop."

"Not unless standing up to them makes them even worse," Neville mumbled out of earshot. Giving a grateful nod and a whisper of thanks, Neville made his way out of the crowded stationary shop. Through the shop's window, Neville's eye caught sight of the beautiful bouquet of lilies in the corner. Next to it with pieces of parchment each with a floral design and little hearts dotted along its sides. Neville had considered both as gifts before his mind won over his heart.

"Too strong," Neville muttered as he made his way through the crowd. "Way too strong." As Neville walked past people while holding onto his gift, he heard someone call out his name.

"Hey, Lardbottom! Lardbottom, wait up!"

Freezing in his tracks, Neville wondered if he should make a break for it. If he made his way fast, he could get back to the Three Broomsticks where the Marauders were seated and he would not be disturbed. But as the sole Ravenclaw in his clique of Gryffindors, this would only mean temporary protection and sooner or later, he would have to face them. Blowing out a sigh, Neville turned to face the group of Ravenclaws, led by the so-called Prince of Ravenclaw, Ben Davies.

The younger brother of Roger Davies, Ben often had to play second fiddle to his older brother. Yet the association with Roger, who was practically Ravenclaw Royalty due to his skills on the pitch together with being Head Boy last year, meant that Ben was often showered with favouritism, the worst being his acceptance into the Quidditch team despite being a horrible Chaser. Ben used his social standing to his advantage, often lording over those he considered lesser which put Neville solely in his headlights.

"Well, if it isn't Lardbottom." Ben laughed as he clapped Neville on his back. Despite being taller than Ben by two inches, Neville found it slightly amusing that the shorter wizard was trying hard to stretch himself taller. Ben has his groupies, of course, comprising of fourth-year Ravenclaws under his wing as well as Michael Corner, his partner in crime.

"Hey there, Ben, Michael," Neville mumbled out as Ben gave a derisive laugh while Michael merely sneered at him. While Ravenclaws weren't as bad as the Slytherins when it came to bullying, an exception seemed to be made for Neville. This was because Neville constantly lost House Points on a daily basis though he would try his hardest to make it up in subjects such as Herbology and Charms. Often the loss of points was a result of a lack of knowledge and poor performances when it came to his other subjects, particular Potions, where a nasty Professor Snape seemed to have it out for him. Neville was seen as an embarrassment to Ravenclaw to the point, that once a fortnight, Neville would report sick in the Hospital Wing just so he could avoid making mistakes which would cost points. Even with such desperate measures, Neville could not stop his mistakes and so, his reputation in Ravenclaw started to dive.

"Now, is that any way to greet your friend?" Ben said as he seemed to rub Neville's arms, only to squeeze it tightly in certain places that made Neville almost squeal in pain. Yet his mind was elsewhere as the word friend reminded Neville of a time when he and Ben were actually best friends back in the first year. Back when Ben was actually a decent human being.

"How's your day so far, Ben?" Neville said in an attempt to be civil. He could feel Ben being slightly annoyed at him not wincing in pain. Unlike him, Ben had a muscular frame, one which Neville suspected was with the use of a Muscle Potion rather than hard work.

"I'm good but I wanted to talk to you about something," Ben said as he placed his arm around Neville's neck, forcing Neville to dip down so that Ben could be taller than him. _Just let him speak and you can be done with him, Neville_ Neville told himself as Ben smirked to his entire group.

"Now, we both know that your reputation in Ravenclaw over the years has been…what you call it…less than satisfactory. One of the disadvantages of being a loser, I'm afraid." Ben spoke as the others began to snicker around him. "However, I have a solution that can benefit us both. Interested?"

Before Neville could respond, Ben continued to speak.

"Of course, you are! Now, I've always questioned your association with that Gryffindor gang of yours. I mean, why would Harry Potter, of all people, want to befriend someone like you? It's a mystery not even a Ravenclaw like myself can solve. However, it would seem that finally, something good can come out of it. Speaking as your newly appointed Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain-"

"You're captain?!" Neville exclaimed before he could stop himself.

"You have a problem with that?" Michael whispered dangerously as he took a step forward, only for Ben to wave him off.

"It's alright, he's slow on the uptake, Mike," Ben replied though Neville could sense that the former wasn't too happy with his remark. "Yes, I'm captain. That's what happens when you earn your spot with your own two hands. However, being captain also means that I have a responsibility to lead us to victory. Now, everyone knows that Hufflepuff's win last year was a fluke and with the Slytherins seemingly going through a rebuilding phase, this would mean that our only real opposition is the Gryffindors. Now, since you're best mates with King Harry himself, this would mean that you could be of some use to me. Find out about his tactics, tell me who's playing in what position and any other related information and tell me about them. Do this, Neville and when we win, I will personally ensure that your reputation in Ravenclaw will soar! Now, doesn't that sound like a great plan?"

"You want me…to betray Harry's trust?" Neville exclaimed as all of a sudden, the smile disappeared from Ben's face as the wizard grabbed Neville by the throat.

"Are you a Ravenclaw or not?l" Ben snarled as he pressed his nose against Neville's. "Because if you're not with me, then you're against us and I will personally make sure that your life becomes a living hell!"

"I'm a Ravenclaw…of course…" Neville gasped as he tried to wiggle from Ben's grip. Almost instantly, Ben's expression changed as he released Neville with a wicked grin on his face.

"Excellent. Knew you were a team player, Lardbottom." Ben said as he clapped Neville on the back. "I'll expect updates from you after Potter's training. And do us all a favour. Use some mouthwash. How do you expect a girl to kiss you with that lard breath of yours?"

Walking away with howls of laughter from his gang, Neville watched out of the corner of his eye as he wheezed in pain. It was the first time Ben ever laid hands on him and while Neville did consider reporting him to Professor Flitwick, he knew that with the influence the Davies family had, Ben might receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

"Fuck you," Neville whispered as he gathered up the quill set which had dropped in the snow. Cleaning the bits of snow that had clung on to it, Neville's mind went straight to Harry. While it may have been a shock to Ben, the way he and Harry had become friends was not something out of the ordinary. Harry's father had been friends with his parents, both of them Aurors just like James Potter. This was before Neville's father and mother had gone into a coma at St Mungo's, courtesy of a spell backfired on one of their cases. Tragically, Neville's mother died one day while his father remained in a catatonic state. Being mostly raised by his overly-strict grandmother, Neville's life was one of subjugation, until the day his grandmother introduced him to Harry.

At first, Neville thought of Harry as just another jock, a boy with incredible skill and talent but as the two bonded during the years before Hogwarts, Neville found himself warming up to Harry. Like him, Harry had no mother as his own tragically died when Harry was just four. Harry took him under his wing and upon realising they shared the same birthday, Neville found himself becoming best friends with Harry. That was, until they went to Hogwarts.

With Harry sorted into Gryffindor, Neville found himself all alone once again in Ravenclaw. Harry's reputation rose with his Quidditch skills and his Duelling abilities while Neville suffered greatly. Yet despite them not being as close as they once were, Harry always maintained a friendship with Neville and making him one of the Marauders together with his fellow Gryffindor mates, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan.

_How can I betray Harry?_ Neville thought as his stomach turned. There was no question about it. Neville would never betray Harry's trust in a million years, the wizard both a friend and an idol in his eyes. Yet, for some reason, a recent conversation with Professor Sprout about the Venomous Tentacula, a highly dangerous, sentient plant, came into his mind.

"_Would you like to hear an interesting story about the Venomous Tentacula, Neville?" Pomona Sprout said as Neville helped her with storing the plants safely away._

"_Of course, Professor Sprout."_

"_Did you know that back, many centuries ago, the Venomous Tentacula was only known as the Tentacula plant?"_

"_Really?" Neville exclaimed with interest as Professor Sprout nodded her head. "I've never heard of that before."_

"_Well, this story is the stuff of myths and legends, which is why no respected herbologist would ever write about it but the story goes that back during the old days, the Tentacula plant was just a normal plant with leaves. Now, you know just how valuable the Tentacula is. Its leaves are important ingredients in potion-making and cooking and it is a common food item for certain creatures. However, with the coming of the Black Plague, there was a dramatic fall in the number of Tentacula plants. Wizards, in an attempt to find a cure, began tearing them by the thousands to be used for potion making while Muggles used them in similar fashion. It got so bad that one day soon, the Tentacula plant was on the verge of extinction."_

"_Wow! What happened next?"_

_Sprout gave Neville a smile as she stared at the dangerous plant in the corner. "Well, legend has it that, when it came down to the final plant, the Tentacula plant began to weep for its inevitable demise. The Forest Pixies, who are creatures said to be able to communicate with plants, heard its cry. Taking pity on the plant, the Forest Pixies decided to invoke some magic into it. They made it sentient and more than that, the Pixies gave the plant certain defensive mechanisms to prevent it from being taken away so easily. In its new form, the plant, now being able to think for itself, began to evolve and with the magic invoked by the Pixies, started to make itself more aggressive. What you see before you are years and years of evolution, culminating in the Venomous Tentacula, now one of the world's most dangerous plants._

"_Wow!" Neville said as he stared in awe at the plant. "So do you think the legend is true, Professor Sprout."_

"_Well, I can't say if it is or it isn't." Sprout replied with a shrug. "But I do know this. Nature always finds a way. At the end of the day, just like wizards and Muggles, plants can also find a way to adapt and evolve. And think about what would have happened if it didn't! We would have lost out on an amazing organism."_

"_But did it have to be so…dangerous? I mean, from strangling people to shooting venom at them, isn't that overkill?" Neville asked as Sprout smiled at him._

"_Perhaps it is excessive. And perhaps it didn't have to become so monstrous. But you need to understand, Neville, that this thing was trying to survive, trying to look out for itself. Sometimes, in such cases, you have to be a little cruel or a little selfish. At the end of the day, never forget the law of the jungle."_

"_Which is?"_

"_Survival of the fittest!" _

At the back of his head, the weight of his dilemma began to sink in. Was it wrong of him to look out for himself? While Ben may be an asshole, Neville knew Ben better than to brag about knowing the tactics, considering that in previous years, Dumbledore himself often overturned Quidditch match scores when any hint of match-fixing or foul play was involved. Then again, would Neville be able to live with himself? It wasn't like Harry was looking out for him all the time anyways. Shouldn't he adapt just like the Venomous Tentacula?

As with all his dilemmas and problems, Neville adopted a fairly simple approach. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. Right now, as he set his sights on someone less than fifty yards away, Neville only had one thought in mind.

Luna Lovegood.

Granted, he and Luna weren't as close as best friends but that was on the advice of Harry himself. _Never be too close to a girl, mate. The more mysterious you are, the more she's willing to find out more about you._ Not that it was a problem for him. Neville rarely opened up to people, let alone those he cared about. It was an issue that was difficult for him and unless a person could empathise like Harry did when he was younger, it was difficult to be his friend.

Not that he wanted Luna as a friend. No, Luna was special. She was the first person to take pity on him in his second year and from then on, Luna was the person he turned to when Neville longed for companionship within his own house. Yet, as puberty would have it, Neville started seeing a different side of Luna. Granted she wasn't a knock-out beauty like Daphne Greengrass but it didn't matter. What made Luna beautiful was that she gave Neville something not many people did nowadays.

Attention. With Luna, Neville felt he had a chance to be loved, especially considering that Luna was in the same boat as him when it came to their reputations. Which only left one other problem to resolve.

_Ronald Weasley _Neville grimaced as he watched the lovesick eyes of Luna staring at his departing figure.

Even before he found out that Luna fancied Ron, Neville never really liked the Hufflepuff. Though they never really interacted properly, Neville couldn't help but notice the similarities between Ron Weasley and Ben Davies. Like Ben, Ron rode on the coattails of a far better Quidditch Player like Cedric Diggory. In fact, from the number of times Neville had hung out with Harry near the Quidditch Pitch, it seemed that Ron was just as awful as Ben was. Yet somehow, last year, Ron managed to put in incredible Keeping performances, something which should have raised eyebrows but didn't. There was just something fishy about Ron's current Quidditch abilities and though Neville couldn't figure out what it was, he was determined not to be fooled by the redhead.

"What do you see in him?" Neville whispered into Luna's ear as soon as he reached her.

"Neville!" Luna cried out loud as she gave a start upon hearing his voice. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," Neville said, giving her an apologetic smile while in his mind, he mentally cursed Ron with all his might. "It's just that sometimes, you see the world through rose-tinted glasses. Guys like Ronald Weasley are only perfect in your head. He's just like the other Quidditch blokes around school."

"You're one to talk," Luna said as she shook her head as in his head, Neville gave a mental groan. He knew that Luna didn't like Harry because of his reputation but it frustrated him to no end that she couldn't have the same thought about Ron. _They're both Quidditch players, for Merlin's sake!_

"Harry's different, Luna," Neville said, hoping Luna would just drop the subject. To his delight, she did and Neville felt his spirits rise with her news about Flitwick and the Thestrals. Though he didn't like some of the creatures that lived in the Forest, Neville always had a soft spot for the Thestrals. Anyways, I have some good news!" Luna said as she told Neville about Flitwick's meeting. The boy's eyes lit up as Neville beamed at Luna.

"What's that?" Luna asked as Neville mentally composed himself

"Oh!" Neville said, hoping to sound breezy even though he could feel a slight blush on his face as Neville handed the quill set over to her. "It's a gift."

"Oooo, this set is gorgeous, Neville. Who gave it to you?"

"No…er…" Neville said as he shifted uncomfortably. He could hear Harry's voice screaming at him from inside his head, warning him to stay cool. "It's from me to you. I figured it would make a good welcome back to school present."

"Neville, this is too much." Luna sighed as she smiled at him. "I really couldn't…"

"Please," Neville said as he smiled at her. "I insist."

"Well, how about I buy us a round of Butterbeer?" Luna said as she wrapped her arm around his. Tensing up slightly, Neville let out a silent breath.

"Sure. Do you mind following me to Quality Quidditch Supplies?" Neville said as he composed himself quickly. "The order for his gloves just came in yesterday and I volunteered to take them for Harry."

"He didn't force you, did he?" Luna said as Neville shook his head. _Come on, what's with everyone's issue with Harry today? _To his relief, Luna did not push the issue further as they made their way towards the Quidditch shop. As they walked, Neville kept sneaking glances at her while his mind continued to focus on her arm. The longer she held on, the longer Neville's ears remained pink though he prayed that Luna hadn't noticed.

As they reached the shop, both Neville and Luna noticed that it was filled to the brim. Suddenly, Luna released her arm from him, causing an internal groan of disappointment.

"Why don't you pass his order sheet to me?" Luna said as she held out her hand. "I can squeeze into the shop and be out before you know it."

"No, it's alright. Harry asked me to do it." Neville said before his eyes caught sight of Ben Davies and his group loitering at the front of the shop.

Luna heaved a sigh. "It's alright, Neville. I can do this. At least that way, you don't have to deal with those gits. Just wait for me at that alley over there."

Before Neville could respond, Luna had snatched the parchment from him as she made her way into the shop. Cursing himself for not being more insistent, Neville trudged his way towards the alley where he passed two third-year Hufflepuff students clad in black and gold colours and sporting Hufflepuff hats.

_Hats. _Neville thought with a grimace as he leaned against the stone walls of the alley.

His entire life, Neville always felt that he had been cursed. Nothing seemed to go the way it was supposed to go for him even when he tried his hardest. Neville recalled the days leading up to his enrolment into Hogwarts. While Harry had been bragging about the wonders of Gryffindor and how Neville should join him in the House of the Brave, Neville had other ideas. He had already decided that if he should be given a choice, he would go into Hufflepuff. Like him, Hufflepuffs weren't as special and attention-seeking as the other three, which only made it the perfect choice for him. So it was baffling, as it still was to this day, what the Sorting Hat had said to him all those years ago.

"_Ahhh, Longbottom. I remember your father. What a wonderful Hufflepuff he made!"_

_Yes! He was!_

"_But that was your father. Now let me have a look inside you….ahh yes…hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty…all the attributes that make a great Hufflepuff!"_

_Yes! I want it. I want to be in Hufflepuff_

"_You want it? Very well, I guess your House will be….wait a minute…hmmm….interesting…very interesting…"_

_What?!_

"_It seems that you have a brilliant mind as well, Longbottom. And what a path it will take you!"_

_No! I'm not brilliant! Please, I'm not clever!_

"_Why do you think so? Just because one isn't well-read in certain topics, does not mean that one isn't clever. You mustn't judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree."_

_Fish? Tree?...I don't…Look, I'm really not clever or brilliant!_

"_There's that modesty in you...But wait!...You have courage as well!...Ohhh, how Godric would have loved you!"_

_No! Don't put me in Gryffindor!_

"_Not to mention, I can sense your ambition. To be an Auror just like your Father! And you're a Pureblood!"_

_No! NOT SLYTHERIN! PLEASE, NOT SLYTHERIN!_

"_Not Slytherin?!...Tell me, Longbottom…before I make my decision…what do you want to be in life? While I can see into your mind, your heart, however, is very much conflicted."_

_What do I want to be?! How would I know?! I'm just eleven, for Merlin's sake!_

"_Look into your heart and tell me, if there is one thing you wish to be when you grow up."_

_Err…I want…I want to be strong…Not just in body, but in my mind and my spirit as well. I want to be strong like my father was._

"_Is this what you want or what you need?"_

_What's the difference?_

"_Tell me, please."_

_It's what I…need_

"_Very well. If that's the case, then I can't place you inside Gryffindor or Slytherin. Both houses would only diminish your qualities greatly especially when you want to stand out. It seems there is only one logical choice."_

_Yes…Hufflepuff…_

"_I'm sorry, Longbottom. But strength is not something that grows out of comfort. Putting you in a place of comfort would not only prevent strength from growing but you will never strive to be better than what you think you are. One day, Longbottom, I promise you. You will understand why I chose this."_

_Wait…does that mean…no…wait!...WAIT!_

"_For you to find the strength within you and to give that strength to others, I can only place you in-"_

_NO! STOP!_

"_-RAVENCLAW!"_

Neville stared longingly at the two Hufflepuffs before they disappeared from his sight. Perhaps this was the reason he was actually jealous of Ron. That Ron got to live the life Neville knew he would have if not for being Sorted into the wrong House. _Brilliant mind? Bollocks!_ Neville thought as he let out a growl of frustration. He was still the same boy he was back in his first year. What brilliant mind did the Hat see? Maybe the Hat wasn't so brilliant after all! _Why couldn't you just give me what I wanted? One win, in my life! Is that so hard to give! One fucking win!_

"Neville, are you alright?"

Neville crashed out of his thoughts as his eyes found Luna holding a pair of red Quidditch gloves with a concerned look on her face. Putting on a brave front, Neville gave Luna a smile as he thanked her for the gloves.

"I'm fine. Really." Neville said, despite Luna's constant nudges. "Don't worry about me. Come, let's make our way to the Three Broomsticks. I sure could use a pint of Butterbeer right now."

….

"Susan, that was totally uncalled for," Cedric said as Susan let out a grunt.

"Look, I'm sorry if I went too far but someone needed to say something-"

"What Ron chooses to do with his life is his own choice, Susan," Cedric said, ignoring the scowl on Susan's face for interrupting her. Cedric ran his fingers through his golden-brown hair before motioning his head towards the Phoenix Club. "Why don't you go and check with Patricia on what time they wish to start? I'll go speak to Ron."

"Fine…" Susan cried as she threw her hands into the air. It was no use pushing the matter anyways. Ron was Cedric's golden boy and in his eyes, the redhead could do no wrong.

_Wish some people would see me the same way_ Susan thought bitterly as she turned her attention towards the Phoenix Club.

The Phoenix Club was one of Hogwarts' oldest societies. Created roughly two hundred years when after the founding of Hogwarts, the club had started as an unofficial clandestine group. Back then, the Muggles and wizards were constantly in conflict and strong leaders were needed to unify the community. Because of this, students at Hogwarts realised there was a need to put aside their house rivalries if they were to live in a better world. So the very best of each House met together in secret, discussing their political ambitions and plans and soon, the Phoenix Club came to pass. Though controversy had stalked the group over the centuries, particularly on their blood traditions, it had survived even though, Susan thought vehemently, the club was a shell of what it used to be.

Once a club opened to the best and brightest, traditions on its members took priority in recent times. One had to be Pureblood, with few half-bloods being allowed in and only a single Muggleborn member by the name of Nobby Leach who would one day become the Minister For Magic ever joined in. Furthermore, the club had a very strict policy when it came to acquiring new members. Membership was only through invitation which meant that the Phoenix Club became that for legacies. Siblings and relations of current members stood a far better chance being accepted in even with poor grades.

The fact that her mother, Amelia Bones who was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was a former member meant that Susan always stood a chance of an invite. Yet, that took a while to come as Susan noted that despite being a legacy as well as having good grades and an impressive school record, she still had the disadvantage of being a half-blood. Luckily for Susan, there was also another mitigating factor that helped her get into the Phoenix.

Because of their rigid acceptance policy, the Phoenix had often faced the dangers of going extinct especially with the constant graduation of its members. To remedy that, the rules were relaxed and invitations were sent out to families with great influence and more importantly, great financial wealth. It was one of the reasons Nobby Leach was accepted as well as some of its current members.

At the moment, there were only four current members of the Phoenix with both Roger Davies and Cedric Diggory having graduated. Marcus Flint, who would have followed them but was forced to repeat yet another year, had stayed on. The tall, spiky-haired Pureblood Slytherin was forced to release his position as Quidditch Captain to fellow member Urquhart although he was given the position of Head Boy, a decision that seemed dubious but not entirely implausible considering his family was on the Board of Directors of the school. Then there was Ashaki Shafiq, the Middle-Eastern beauty from Gryffindor and a Pureblood as well. Next was Ravenclaw's Marcus Belby, whose family had successfully petitioned to be considered for the Sacred 28 and whose wealth dwarfed the other three. Finally came the Hufflepuff Head Girl, Patricia Fawley, a Pureblood witch that was beloved and admired by many, including Susan's own mother.

"Hey Patricia," Susan said as she approached the tall Hufflepuff who upon hearing her voice, rolled her eyes at Ashaki who stifled a laugh. "Cedric wants to know what time you guys are starting?"

"Why doesn't Cedric tell me himself?" Patricia asked, staring past Susan as the girls peeled their eyes out for Cedric.

"He's busy talking to Ron."

"Well then, we'll just wait for him," Patricia replied. All of a sudden, Susan felt a hand on her shoulder.

"My, my, Bones, how was your summer?" said the voice as Susan pulled her shoulder away, disgusted by his hand.

"It was…enlightening. My mother brought me along on many of her business visits to European countries. Some of our cousins abroad have very interesting cultures, especially the Mediterranean countries." Susan said as she turned to see Belby and Flint both grinning at her. _I'm never naming my future son, Marcus_ Susan thought angrily though she hid her emotion behind a sickly, fake smile. While Diggory and Davies had both been upstanding gentlemen (perhaps a stretch on the latter), both Belby and Flint were total opposites. Neither were very good looking to begin with, but what made them absolutely intolerable was the fact that they were both arrogant misogynists. Belby, to his credit, seemed to be more interested in food and his status than anything else but Flint, well he, he was another story.

"Come on, Bones." Belby roared in his usual loud, obnoxious manner. "You sound like Granger with such talk! Can't you just say you had fun? I certainly did in Paris. I'm telling you, Flint, those Beauxbatons girls…fuck!...the way they look makes the girls in our school look like dung beetles!"

"You talk as if you're such a prize yourself, Belby." Ashaki snapped as the other three girls shot glares at him. Belby raised his hands in defence.

"I never said I was a prize. I'm just saying with their Veela blood, those girls are incredibly hot! Especially this one. Fleur Delacour. Talk about your European beauties, huh!"

"Why did Cedric and Roger have to leave us, Patricia?" Ashaki mocked in a sad tone while Patricia gave a giggle as Belby glared at the two girls.

"Forgive Marcus," Flint replied as he made eye contact with Susan who looked away. "His mouth only works when it's hungry and nothing else. I think the girls in our school looked just as gorgeous, even more so, wouldn't you agree, Patricia?"

Patricia rolled her eyes as Marcus let out a snort. "That's because you're dating Daphne Greengrass, you prat! She's like one of those Beauxbatons witches, man! It's so unfair!"

"Life isn't fair," Flint whispered as he nudged Susan's foot. "But then again, I do prefer the girls in Hogwarts. They're much more open and understanding, not like those smug beauties in Paris, Marcus. I prefer a girl who's willing to share and would do anything to get…_ahead_."

At the sound of this, Susan gave a start as she bit her lip. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes as she blinked them away fast.

"So what do I tell Cedric?" Susan said as she turned to Patricia, who let out a groan of frustration.

"For Merlin's sake, Susan, can you just sit still and have fun for one second? Ashaki here wants to show me the newest fashions in Witch Weekly. Go do something else and stop bothering me for once!"

"Why don't you call Daphne here?" Belby blurted out as he gave Flint a wink. "I want to see if she has any cousins she can introduce me to?"

"Yes! Do that!" Patricia said impatiently as she shooed Susan away. Glad to be away from Flint, Susan made her way to the Slytherin table as her eyes found the blonde-haired witch.

_Daphne Greengrass._ _What a bitch._

Of all the self-entitled people in her life, Daphne took the cake at being top of the list. Unlike Susan, Daphne never had to work a day in her life. Beautiful, talented and backed by a powerful Pureblood family, Daphne had all the advantages in her world. Yet unlike Lavender Brown, who was a silly bimbo that Susan could at least, tolerate, Daphne was something else. Devious and cold, the Ice Queen of Slytherin was always surrounded by her followers, the female Serpents as well as her younger sister and Ginny Weasley. Already in Ginny Weasley, Susan could see just how dangerous an individual like Daphne was, with the redhead, so keen on Daphne's approval that she had relegated herself to being a spiteful, vindictive person.

"Greengrass, Flint wants to see you." Susan Bones called out as per her expectation, Daphne merely rolled her eyes at being addressed before leaving with the protection of her two youngest cronies. Ginny Weasley gave a sneer in her direction as Susan, wanting nothing more than to find someone to rant to, caught sight of Hermione Granger together with her silly elf rights group. _Better than nothing_ Susan thought as she made her way over to the Gryffindor.

"What a bitch," Susan exclaimed as Hermione's eyes widened at the use of the word. _Typical_ Susan thought as she rolled her eyes. While Susan was a stickler for the rules herself, it didn't mean that she had to be a role model all the time. The world was a cruel place and censorship for the sake of censorship was just a stupid rule made up by people who wanted to feel better about themselves rather than anything else.

"Oh relax, I'm sure these three have heard worse." Susan cried as she motioned towards Natalie, Damien, and Aly. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealously seeing the third years who clearly idolised Hermione. Perhaps she should have gotten an underling to make herself feel better, seeing how her rivals were clearly doing well with the ones they had.

"Why don't the three of you go and order more Butterbeer? Get a basket of chips as well. My treat. And when you all come back, I can tell you about the activities we'll be doing for this year."

_Seriously?_ If there was a secondary reason as to why she and Hermione Granger were not close friends, this would be it. While they both shared a desire to change the wizarding world for the better, Granger would rather much spend time and energy on lost causes rather than focusing on the real problem, the current state of the Ministry.

"Honestly, Hermione, I get that you're doing this to boost your record but you don't have to put that much effort into it." Susan scoffed. "Just have a few official meetings to meet the guidelines and you're done. Focus your attention on other things."

"Well, Susan," Hermione replied in an annoyed tone. "I happen to believe very much in this cause and I have to give credit to those three. Just because I'm the President doesn't mean I have to take a lasseiz-faire approach to this whole thing. The kids are good but they still need guidance."

_Guidance?! Guidance for what?! Throwing their lives away on wild dreams?_

"Hermione, no offense, but you're not going to change things. It's one thing if the organisation itself was asking for change and it's another to influence their minds. Elves like where they are. End of story. You're a witch, not an Elves spokesperson."

"Exactly." Hermione retorted. "Don't you think that as the so-called superior beings that we have a responsibility to do more for those who can't?"

"Don't lecture me about responsibility." Susan snapped. Hermione's words had struck a chord as Susan was reminded once again of a very unpleasant memory. "I just happen to take the world as it is, not as what we want it to be. Besides, there are so many issues wrong with our own kind. Deal with that first rather than helping those who are happy where they are."

"Don't you have to be somewhere else?" Hermione snapped as Susan glared at her before feeling a slight pang of guilt. _It's not Hermione's fault you're so agitated. Quick, think of something else to talk about._

Susan decided to bring up the Ron Weasley situation, something she was sure Hermione would be interested in.

"No offense here, Susan but why do you care so much? I mean, it is his life. Do you like…care for him or something?" Hermione replied.

_Must everything a girl thinks about be related to a boy? There's more to life than just idiotic boys, you know!_

"Please! Weasley's not my type. Just because I'm in between relationships now doesn't mean I become a desperate bimbo like Lavender Brown." Susan replied. _Between relationships, I'm pathetic_ Susan thought dejectedly.

"I'm just shocked at how one carelessly makes such decisions regarding their future. Can you imagine someone with so much potential throwing it all away for something as silly as Quidditch?"

That seemed to have done the trick as Hermione excused herself to go talk sense to Ron. Susan blew a sigh of relief at the sight of the Muggle witch walking away. While she did sometimes enjoy Hermione's company, there was indeed a primary reason why the two could never actually be friends. With a quick look around to see that no one was watching, Susan pulled down her sleeve as she stared down at her wrist. It had healed, of course, as it always did but it was still there, mocking and reminding her of why she was trying so hard to succeed.

"_Hmmm…eleven OWLS…I'm surprised, Susan. I didn't think you had it in you."_

_Susan merely nodded her head as she kept her eyes on her table. If it had been her mother speaking, Susan would be swollen with pride. But this woman…this disgusting, putrid woman was no mother. Amelia Bones was a busy woman who had many responsibilities, most of which took her away from checking on her only child at Hogwarts. While many would be upset at the idea of an uncaring parent, Susan would gladly have given anything to receive one instead of a mother who tried to made it up to her by hiring this monster._

"_Hem hem." cried the simpering, high-pitched voice of a toad-like witch. Clad in her usual pink cardigan and wearing her black velvet bow, Dolores Umbridge's appearance was a far cry for the monster that she truly was. Susan thought back to the day she had even been excited that her mother had hired a female Ministry official to "coach" her in her character and grades so that she would be able to get ahead._

"_What's this E for?" Umbridge spoke in her unnaturally sickening sweet little voice as Susan felt her body tremble. Deciding not to let fear overpower her, Susan looked up at Umbridge while doing her best to portray a stoic appearance._

"_That E is for my Potions grade. It says that I'm Exceeding Expectations in his class."_

"_And what grade is it not?"_

"_It's not an O but that's because Professor Snape only gives out –"_

"_SILENCE!" Umbridge shrieked before resuming with her usual sickening smile. "Are you questioning the integrity of the Slytherin Head of House?"_

"_No, of course not!" Susan cried, desperate to not make things worse. "But even Hermione Granger got an E-"_

"_So getting the same grades as a Muggleborn is what satisfies you, is it? Tell me, is this the best you can do? The daughter of the Head for Magical Law Enforcement compares herself to a Mudblood?"_

_Susan cringed at the word but said nothing as Umbridge's smile began to widen._

"_You know what to do."_

"_Please…I did very my best…please…"_

"_That's what scares me, Susan. That you think this is your best." Umbridge said as she handed her a quill and a parchment. "Draw a line."_

"_Madam Umbridge, I-"_

"_I said…" Umbridge whispered harshly as her eyes gleamed dangerously in Susan's direction. "Draw."_

_Susan stifled a sob as she pressed the quill on the table. Taking in a short breath, Susan winced in pain as she drew a line on the parchment. A burning sensation grew on her wrist as Susan bit her lip in an attempt to scream out._

"_I didn't say stop, now did I?" Umbridge giggled as she stirred her cup of tea. "Continue drawing."_

_Knowing she had no other way out, Susan continued to draw and each time, the burning sensation got stronger and strong. Susan stepped on her foot hard as her knuckles turned ghostly white by how hard she clenched her fist as Susan did everything in her power not to scream out in pain._

_Fuck you! Susan thought as she tried in vain to keep her tears from streaming down her face. Noticing her tears, Umbridge let out a derisive grunt._

"_Pathetic. Can you imagine if other witches could see you now? We are on the verge of pushing the patriarchy out of power and here you are, a disgrace to strong, empowered witches out there. No wonder your father left you when you were a child. He was probably disgusted at the half-blood that he fathered."_

"_SHUT UP!" Susan screamed at the top of her lungs while Umbridge appeared startled at her outburst. "THAT'S IT! I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!"_

_Susan threw the quill and parchment off the floor as she brandished her wand, her face filled with fury. Umbridge's remark about her parents had been the straw that broke the camel's back. For years, Susan had put up with Umbridge's cruel ways for her mother but it was now too much. Fuck this bitch! Susan thought angrily as she took a step forward._

_Surprisingly, Umbridge merely stared at the wand before letting out a laugh. "Tell me, dearie, what's your plan? Do you intend to hex me?"_

_Susan gave Umbridge a malicious grin as she shook her head. "No, I intend to cast a spell. Any spell. With the Trace on me, my mother's department will be here faster than you can say Lumos and when they get here, I'm going to tell them everything. Every horrible little thing you've done. I will make sure that you're punished so badly, you'll spend your years in Azkaban, rotting away like the miserable little toad you are."_

_Shocked by her words, Umbridge glared at Susan before, shockingly, a smile broke on her face._

"_Go ahead, dearie. Do it." Umbridge challenged her as she continued to stir her tea._

"_I will!" Susan said, unwilling to back down._

"_Tell me, who do you think your mother will listen to? Me, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister himself and her best chance at a promotion or you, an unwanted, little mistake that hinders your mother in her quest to become Minister? Your mother is an ambitious woman, Susan. Do you really thinks she'll be on your side?_

"_She's my mother. And my mother loves me."_

"_I wonder…will she still love you after knowing what you've done?"_

_For the first time since her outburst, Susan became uneasy. There was something Umbridge was hiding as the toad-like witch let out a series of high-pitched giggles._

"_Ohhh, Susan, Susan. Do you know what the first rule of poker is? You've always got to have an ace up your sleeve. And my ace just so happens to be a lovely, handsome boy by the name of Marcus Flint."_

_No. For the love of Merlin, no._

"_Ahh, she gets it now," Umbridge said as she stood to her feet. Folding her arms, Umbridge leaned against the side of her table while sneering at Susan with contempt._

"_One of the perks of being the Senior Undersecretary is that I have many connections to people of power, one of who happens to sit on the board of school directors for Hogwarts. Imagine my surprise, when his son tells me the most interesting story I ever heard."_

"_It wasn't my fault…I didn't…" Susan stammered as Umbridge raised her hand._

"_Don't forget, Susan. I must not tell lies. But I must say, at first, I was disgusted about what you've done, especially taking advantage of that sweet, little boy. But the more I thought about it, I have to admit that there was a part of me that…admired…you for your creativity. I'm no stranger at doing whatever it takes to rise in this world and I suppose, given your tremendous lack of ability, perhaps using whatever you can to get ahead seemed like a good decision at that time."_

"_No… wait…it wasn't like that!" Susan cried desperately as Umbridge shook her head._

"_I have proof," Umbridge said as she clapped her hand against her pink bag. "What's that Muggle saying, a picture says a thousand words?"_

_Susan felt her throat go dry as she froze in panic._

"_Imagine if those pictures were get loose. Not only would it destroy your already crumbling reputation but your mother's as well. Imagine the scandal, given how your mother has fought against Serpent families all her life."_

_Susan felt her knees start to buckle as she held onto the chair for support. Umbridge let out another series of giggles as she wore her bag and adjusted her bow._

"_Oh, here's a silver lining for you, dearie. I won't be seeing you until next summer as I have more important matters to attend to. You can keep the quill if you like. I'm sure you've figured out why I only asked you to draw lines, nothing more? I believe people in your situation tend to turn to cutting themselves to feel good?"_

_Without waiting for a response, Umbridge gave another giggle before taking out her wand and Apparating away. The moment the witch disappeared, Susan crumbled onto the living room floor as her sobs echoed around the living room._

As much as she hated the bitch, Susan had to give the monster her due. Umbridge had played her part well and Susan had been nothing more than a fly that the toad had been playing with. Susan stared at her wrist, the lines cut from the Blood Quill had healed with the exception of a single word. A word she herself wrote later that night as Susan recalled how the pain had pushed her to accept who she truly was.

As Susan stared at the word on her wrist, a loud cry dragged her away from her thoughts.

"THROW THEM TO ME, NEVILLE! HEY HERMIONE, WATCH OUT!"

Susan had just enough time to pull down her sleeve before a cup of Butterbeer flew in her direction.

…..

**So that's the first chapter done! By now, you might be wondering where is Harry's POV? Well, I'm leaving that to the second chapter but this does not mean that this story is going to be a Harry-centric story. There are no main characters, just a main group.**

**Some of the characters in this chapter had more written about them than others but once again, don't worry about it. It just means that there might be more to them that I can't reveal just yet. In case anyone is confused**

**Draco – Slytherin Bad Boy**

**Ginny- Slytherin ice queen**

**Hermione- Gryffindor nerd**

**Harry- Gryffindor jock (not really a surprise…)**

**Ron- Hufflepuff jock**

**Susan- Hufflepuff future Head girl**

**Neville- Ravenclaw outcast**

**Luna- Ravenclaw outcast**

**So what do you all think of the story so far? Hope you all like it. By the way, this is probably the longest chapter of my story as I thought it'd be best to give you a preview into the lives of the characters first as it allows me to focus on the plot. Thank you for reading!**


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